Free retinal screening for diabetics?

All diagnosed diabetics aged 12 years and over should have access to free, annual retinal screening, according to Diabetes UK's Your Vision awareness campaign.

The charity claims that one-third of diagnosed diabetics in the UK do not receive routine screening for diabetic retinopathy (DR), and that three-quarters of a million people are at risk of blindness because of DR, which is the leading cause of blindness among working-age people in the UK.

In England in the year ending March 31 2008, 32.3% of diabetics aged >12 years (n=762,673) received no retinal screening, and 94 of 152 Primary Care Trusts did not meet their screening targets during this period.

The Your Vision awareness campaign is supported by an unrestricted grant from Lilly.